Like a Cherry Blossom
by Lark R. Starling
Summary: She may be a Sohma, but Rara knew nothing of the Zodiac legend, or her part in it until meeting Yuki. Nor could she predict how her once miserable life would change upon meeting him...Yuki x OC
1. Chapter 1

DISCLAIMER: I naturally do not own any of the characters from Fruits Basket, nor do I own the Zodiac legend (excluding the parts I fabricated for the sake of my story).

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A messenger from God came to the animals and delivered a message: "I'm inviting you all to my banquet tomorrow. Don't be late."

_Hearing that, the mischievous Rat lied to his neighbor, the Cat, and told him the banquet would be the day after tomorrow. _

_The next day, the Rat rode on the back of the Ox, and nimbly landed before the banquet hall. After him followed the Ox, the Tiger, the Rabbit, the Dragon, the Snake, the Horse, the Ram, the Monkey, the Rooster, the Dog, and the Boar. All except for the Cat, who had been tricked. _

_And God's messenger, the Immortal One, watched this all with her own twisted amusement. _

I paused in front of the school gate, looking again at the name on my sheet. Yep, this was it. Kaibara High. My new high school. I was a little worried. It had taken Hatori a lot of pleading with Akito to allow me to come to this school. I didn't want to think about how I was going to be punished when I got back home tonight…

Considering the first bell had already rung, I proceeded to the main office, where the secretary greeted me.

"Rara…Mui," I said, remembering just in time to use the fake last name Akito had given me, "I'm new, starting here today…" As I nervously ran my fingers through my hair, the wooden cedar beads on my bracelet clacked together. The bracelet…I had had it for as long as I can remember. I don't know where I got it from, but it was the most precious possession I had.

The secretary's eyes scrutinized me, no doubt taking in my appearance. My flaming red hair that fell to my waist. My large grey eyes so pale that it was difficult to see the color unless one took a second look. My small, way-too-skinny frame and my lack of curves. My doll-like features. "Ah, Rara…It's a pleasure. Here, let me take you to your class…"

The secretary led me to a class that was already in session. A history class, it looked like. I sighed.

She knocked, opened the door, then spoke quietly to the teacher. He beckoned me in with a welcoming smile. I didn't bother to smile back.

"Class," the teacher said once I walked up to stand beside him. "This is Rara Mui. She'll be joining our class from now on." He turned back to me. "If you could just take that seat in front of Yuki Sohma, please."

I blinked in surprise. Sohma? There was a Sohma here? That must've been why Akito hadn't wanted me to use my real last name. I walked to the seat the teacher had indicated, without taking my eyes off of Yuki. He was extremely skinny, with dark-grey hair and eyes the exact same color. His features were so delicate that I almost mistook him for a girl. I didn't recognize him. But that was hardly a surprise. I didn't know who any of the other Sohmas were except for Akito, Hatori, Kureno, and Hatori's friend, Shigure.

History class passed by without an incident. Then when it was time for our next class, I felt a tap on my shoulder. I turned to see Yuki behind me, with a charming smile.

"Do you want me to help you get to your next class?" He asked. His voice was very pleasant.

I didn't want to accept his help, but still, I didn't exactly know the way to my arithmetic class. I nodded, completely expressionless.

Yuki took a look at my schedule, before smiling at me again. "Looks like we have our next class together. Convenient."

"Glad I can be so convenient." I noticed that although Yuki kept smiling that same, pleasant smile, it never seemed completely sincere. It held a hidden sorrow. I could understand that. Sohmas knew almost nothing but pain and misery, thanks to Akito.

Yuki gave me a short tour as we walked to our next class. He seemed nice, at least, but I didn't know if this was just a persona that he was adopting for school, or if this was who he really was. It was intriguing.

Finally, we reached the class. Yuki escorted me inside, and introduced me to the teacher. Before he could say anymore, he was assaulted from behind.

"Hey, already hitting on the new girl? You sure work fast, Prince Charming!" A boy from our class shouted. I backed up, watching the spectacle with complete boredom.

"No!" Yuki shouted back. "Be quiet!"

I ignored them, and then turned back to the teacher, as she handed me a book, and showed me to my seat. A minute later, a cute girl sat next to me. She smiled brightly at me. I was a bit surprised. It seemed like she was so happy to be here at school.

"I'm Tohru," she introduced herself. "It's my pleasure to meet you."

So polite speech. I blinked. "I'm Rara. Pleasure's mine." This Tohru girl threw me completely off guard.

I nearly dozed off during math. I had always disliked arithmetic, even though I was rather good at it.

Finally, the school day was over. It was typical of any typical school day. I didn't think my stay here was going to be very exciting. But, it was far preferable than being back in the 'inside' of the Sohma estate. With Akito. I was not looking forward to going home…

On the way outside of the building, I passed Yuki, who was standing next to Tohru. He looked like he wanted to say something to me, but I lowered my eyes, walking right past him. It was better if I didn't get close to anyone, especially not another Sohma. I didn't allow myself that kind of luxury. And I knew Akito wouldn't either. He'd beat the friendship right out of me.

I tried to be as sneaky as possible as I entered the Sohma estate. I snuck to Hatori's small house, pausing by the door to listen before cautiously walking inside.

Hatori was sitting in a chair, reading a newspaper. He looked up at me.

"How was your first day?" He asked.

I shrugged noncommittally. "It's okay. Better than being around here."

"Healthier for you, as well." Hatori said, clearing his throat uncomfortably. "Speaking of which, Akito demanded your presence as soon as you come home…"

Ugh. This was what I was expecting, yet desperately hoping would not happen. I set down my bag next to the wall, and took off my jacket. I stretched, enjoying the last few minutes of pain-free movement that I would experience for several days. As I did so, the raised scars on my wrists caught my eye. I sighed, hoping this latest punishment would not encourage me to add another scar to my collection.

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Thank you for taking the time to read the first chapter of my story. I hope you liked it enough to keep reading. Anyways, thanks again, and all I ask is that you be civil in your review!


	2. Chapter 2

The whip lashed through the air, landing with a sickening crack on my bare back as I lay on a small table set out for me. I clenched my teeth in order to silence a cry of pain. One would think that I would have become accustomed to the agony of whippings by now, but…

The whip flew back towards Akito, and he caught it deftly. He paused a moment to ask a question.

"What is your sin, Rara?" His voice was cold and emotionless. The whip snapped against my back again, and I involuntarily flinched.

"My…Existence. That is my sin." I had learned many years ago what Akito wanted me to say. If I answered his questions like he wished, he would stop beating me sooner. I had gotten many scars on my back before I had learned that lesson.

"Very good. And what can you do to repent?"

I took a deep breath before replying. "Serve you, Lord Akito."

"Good." Akito let the whip slash violently against my back once more, then he backed off. "You may go to Hatori now, and get bandaged up. Don't you dare let yourself into my sight until I say so."

"Who knew a _girl_ could use a whip with such strength?" I muttered to myself as I got off the table in search of the shirt I had discarded. I thought Akito hadn't heard…

"One more thing!" He said, approaching me yet again. Before I knew it, he had smacked me across the face with as much force as possible. My cheek began to sting as a new cut dripped blood down to my chin. I spat blood to the side, proof that I had indeed bitten my tongue during the slap. Akito seized my chin and forced me to look at him.

"Don't _ever_ backtalk again." He snarled.

I waited until Akito left the room before I moved again to put on my shirt. I could feel my blood leak through the fabric almost immediately.

Every step brought on a fresh wave of pain as I walked back to Hatori's small house. The blood had saturated the shirt and had began to soak my skirt by the time I got to the house. I hated the smell.

Hatori took one look at me, before he sighed and went to fetch cloth bandages and antiseptic. A promise of fresh new pain.

As he wrapped cloth entirely over my whole torso, I did my best to stifle my moans. When I failed, and a whimper escaped my lips, Hatori would pause a minute until I could breathe normally again. Finally, my torso was done. He told me to straighten up. The wraps were so tight that movement could barely cause me new pain. Just a constant, burning ache. Hatori was truly a god when it came to First Aid.

He stood in front of me to apply antiseptic and a sticky bandage to the cut on my cheek. I looked away from him while he did.

"Perhaps…It wouldn't be the best idea to insult Akito again," He muttered quietly.

I scoffed. "It's not my fault he has the hearing of a wolf."

"Yes, but still…I'd like it if you didn't come back with injuries you shouldn't have." He replied calmly, while gently pressing the bandage on my cheek.

I laughed dryly. "It's not like it's going to kill me."

Hatori gave me a fierce glare. "That's not funny. Besides, it's also not the point." He patted me on the head. "Now get to bed. You'll have to get up a little bit early so I can re-bandage you in the morning."

I nodded, smiling. Without Hatori's kindness, I would have offed myself years ago.

I woke up to a combination of pain and my alarm. Sleeping had been a mass of agony. I groaned, tenderly trying to stand. I shuffled to my personal bathroom, dreading what was coming next.

Blood and scabs peeled off onto the bandages as I unwrapped them. I gritted my teeth in annoyance at the new pain. The one of my cheek was even worse as it began to furiously bleed anew. I stepped into the shower, gasping as the hot water made the wounds burn. After a few minutes, the pain numbed my skin and I was able to shower.

After my shower, I didn't even bother putting on a shirt. Considering how often I got whipped by Akito, Hatori was completely used to seeing me naked. I walked out of the bathroom to find him already waiting on my bed, bandages in hand. I stood in front of him, and he began to wind the bandage around me.

It was mildly hard to pretend I was healthy the next morning. Each movement ached. Sitting in a desk was nearly unbearable. I leaned forward in my chair and laid my head on the desk, which I found to be the least painful position. I shifted before settling in. Since I had certainly not gotten much sleep last night, I began to drift off when Yuki tapped my shoulder.

"Rara," he whispered, there's something wet on your back, something like…" He swiped his finger along my back. I froze. "Blood!"

I quickly looked back and forth to see if anyone else had noticed his hiss of surprise. I was lucky. The teacher didn't even look around. I tried to turn around to face the front again, but Yuki grabbed my wrist.

"Are you injured? Rara, what's wrong?" I was surprised to hear his concern. How can one be worried about someone they barely knew?

"Shh!" I snapped back, quietly as I could. "I…I'll tell you later, I promise."

Yuki accepted that answer, and let me go. I turned back to the front. I pulled my long red hair over my back, so no one else would notice the red stain bleeding through my dark blue uniform.

I had hoped that I would be able to escape the school without Yuki finding me once the last bell rang. But, I was unfortunate. As I darted out the classroom door, I felt a hand snag my wrist. Sure enough, when I turned around, I found that Yuki had succeeded in cornering me. I sighed.

"You promised," he reminded me. I rolled my pale grey eyes.

"I know." But there were too many people around. This time, I reached out to grasp his hand. I pulled him over to a secluded wall behind the school.

"Alright, look," I said bluntly, "every few weeks, this guy who takes care of me will whip me. I was whipped last night, and I guess it bled more than the bandages could handle. That's all. End of story."

Yuki looked truly shocked. "Why…?" He asked.

I shrugged slightly, because that movement might open my wounds further. "Because I'm alive. That's the only reason." I was confused about why Yuki was making such a big deal about this, but secretly, I was happy. Perhaps it was possible to find kindness in people other than Hatori.

Yuki thought about that for a moment. "No one should be punished because they've been given the gift of life." His voice held a strange emotion…Regret, maybe? "Come on, I'll walk you home."

I shook my head immediately. "I don't think that'd be such a good idea…"

Yuki cocked his head at me, not understanding. "Why? Will this man that 'takes care' of you be angry?"

"_Very_." I said strongly.

Yuki scratched his head, thinking. "Well, then…If he gets angry, he might hurt you again, so…I'll just walk you halfway. How does that sound?"

I shrugged. "Sounds fine." If he was a Sohma related to me, I hoped he wouldn't recognize where I was going.


	3. Chapter 3

On the walk back to the Sohma estate, Yuki chatted on and on about nothing. I listened, nodding when I was supposed to. He seemed upset by my lack of speech. Very soon, he would figure it out, and then I would have a LOT of explaining to do. Not my thing.

"Are you alright? I'm not bothering you, am I?" He asked, leaning over to see my face. I smiled slightly at him for the first time.

"I…Don't like to talk much. I don't like to connect with people. I don't like people." I responded. Yuki took this all in stride, even though I could very well mean him when I said 'people.'

"Really? That's a shame…" He said, before switching to a different subject.

Even though I hated being around people, I really didn't mind Yuki. Not at all.

I was lost in thought when we started to cross a street. Something felt wrong. I looked up and immediately saw what was going on. A bus was running out of control, speeding destructively down the road. And it was headed right for us!

Without another moment of hesitation, I shoved Yuki out of the way, and he landed almost completely on the sidewalk. But I didn't have time to get out of the way. The bus smashed into me.

I landed a good twenty feet away, while the crowd screamed. But that wasn't to say I was unharmed. One of my legs had landed a good meter away, and I was covered in my own blood, guts, and pieces of bone. But I was alive. Not that that was surprising to me. But, apparently, the crowd was surprised.

As soon as my bones mended enough so that I could sit up, I did so. More screaming. I briefly wondered how many of these people had seen at least one zombie movie. I waited for my leg to grow back, and when it did, Yuki came running up to me.

"Rara! What the-" The stared in shocked bewilderment as I got up (still covered in blood and all manner of other things) seemingly unharmed.

I didn't know where my school bag was, nor did I want to look for it at the moment. People were starting to get off the bus. I grabbed Yuki's hand.

"Get me out of here," I pleaded, "Take me anywhere, but please…"

Yuki didn't need to be told twice. He tightened his grip on my hand and took off, in a direction opposite of the Sohma estate. He was fast, but I easily kept pace with him. Soon, we were running through a forest. Yuki was still leading me, so I assumed he knew where we were going. I decided to trust him.

At last, we arrived at a fairly large house in the middle of the forest. Here, Yuki slowed, and walked me up to the door, never releasing my hand. As soon as we were in the door, he hesitated.

"Perhaps…You had better go wash up first. I'll get you some clothes. You can use Tohru's bathroom on the second floor."

"Tohru?" I asked, looking back at Yuki as he gently pushed me up the stairs. "The girl from our school? She lives here?"

Yuki hesitated yet again before he replied. "Yes, she does. And I will introduce you to her and everyone else when you've cleaned up." Yuki ducked into one of the rooms and came out bearing a pair of pants and a large t-shirt I assumed belonged to him. "And then, you will explain to me how you survived that accident without a scratch." He pushed the clothes into my arms, then shoved me into the bathroom. I heard him rush down the stairs. I sighed, and set about taking off my ruined clothes and bandages.

I walked out of the bathroom wearing Yuki's clothes and tussling my wet hair. I heard voices from downstairs, and headed towards them. I turned into a room to see three people sitting at a table, all looking up at me. Yuki, Tohru, and…

"Shigure!" I cried in surprise. He looked just as amazed as me.

"Rara?"

Yuki looked between the two of us, baffled. "You two know each other?"

"Of course!" Shigure said cheerfully. "She's a Sohma!"

I could have sworn Yuki's jaw almost literally dropped to the floor. I bit my lip, feeling a little guilty that I had lied to him, and everyone else at school. Tohru had covered her mouth with her hands. Shigure smiled sheepishly.

"I assume you two didn't know that…?"

"You said your name was Rara Mui!" Yuki accused.

I turned away, not wanting to look him in the eyes. "I did…Because Akito told me to."

The three all went completely silent. And uneasy silence. I waited for one to talk. Yuki looked like he wished to speak, but Shigure interrupted him.

"So, what's this about you getting hit by a bus, Rara?" He said, trying to lighten the mood.

"If you already know the story from Yuki, why do you need to ask?" I replied lightly, dodging the real question Shigure was asking.

"I meant, how are you still alive? And all in one piece?" Shigure answered. I sighed, not wanting to get into this.

"I don't really know the how…But I do know the why. I'm immortal. I can't die."

Shigure laughed. Not the reaction I was expecting. "You actually think we'll believe that?"

Yuki rubbed his chin in thought. "But, if it weren't true, there's no way she could have survived…"

"But…" Shigure shot back, "how come, if her body will heal from any wound it gets, that she is still wounded from all the injuries Akito has given her?"

Yuki looked dumbstruck. "You knew she was getting beat by Akito? And yet you did nothing?" His tone was full of horror.

"What do you expect me to do against Akito? All of us have suffered at his hands one way or another." Shigure said calmly.

"Akito is the only one who can harm me," I interrupted, before Yuki got angrier. "And I can harm myself if I wish to. I don't know why, but that's just how it is. Even so, I don't think either he or I can kill me either." I shrugged. "He hasn't seriously tried yet, though."

"I think I have an idea how…" Tohru said. All the rest of us jumped, forgetting she was there. "'A messenger of God came to the animals and delivered a message.'"

Yuki and Shigure looked as if they understood, but I was completely lost. "What does that old Zodiac tale have to do with anything?"

Yuki, Shigure, and Tohru exchanged gazes. Now, I felt left out. That is, until Yuki came to stand next to me.

"Do you mind?" Was all he asked before he embraced me tightly.

Against my will, I blushed. But that became the least important thing as Yuki vanished in a cloud of smoke, and I stumbled forward.

I caught myself before I could fall to the floor. To my wonder, in place of Yuki was his empty clothes and a small grey rat. A rat that had Yuki's eyes.

"Yuki?!" I shrieked. The rat on the floor only nodded sadly, and responded with Yuki's voice.

"This is what the Zodiac animals have to do with this. You see, thirteen members of the Sohma family are possessed by the vengeful spirits of the Zodiac animals. As you can see, I'm the Rat. He-" Rat-Yuki gestured to Shigure, "- is the dog. And there are eleven others. For some reason, we transform when our bodies are weak, or if we are hugged by a member of the opposite sex."

I kneeled on the floor so that I could see Rat-Yuki better, and so he could look at me without straining his short little rat-neck. "That's bizarre."

"Yeah. Just as bizarre as being impossible to kill." Yuki retorted.

I grinned. "Good point."

"How," Shigure asked, bringing himself back into the conversation, "did you live with Hatori your whole life, and never accidentally found out about the Zodiac curse?"

"Hatori's a member of the Zodiac too?!" I gasped. After the shock of that wore off, I thought. "Hmmm. Well, he always sent me off to live with Akito when he was sick. And I have never hugged him. He just didn't seem like the type to like hugs."

I waited for them to speak. Tohru, sensing some awkwardness, excused herself to get some tea. Yuki cleared his throat. But, before he could say anything, there was another poof, and Yuki transformed back into his human self. Both Tohru and I squealed in surprise, and I turned away from him while he dressed. Tohru escaped into the kitchen.

"Sorry," He said when I were able to look at him again, "but it's a-"

The wall behind me smashed as something came crashing through. A sharp piece of wood sliced through the air, and right through my chest.

"Die, Rat!" Came a yell. Yuki, Shigure and I ignored it while we stared down at the grossly oversized splinter that had impaled me. I growled in anger.

"Dammit!" I shrieked, standing up in a flash. I ripped the wood from my body and threw it down while the gaping hole in my chest started to mend back together. "What the hell was that?!"

I turned to see a tall, red-headed boy standing behind me. His eyes were so concentrated on Yuki that he didn't even notice what he had down to me. He raised a fist into a fighting position, a clear challenge.

"Fight me, you damn rat." He snapped.

Yuki stood instantly, obviously accepting the newcomer's challenge. But, I had a score to settle with this pissy carrot-top. Before Yuki could reach him, I threw up my arm and walloped the redhead so hard he was sent flying back through the hole he had made. I tossed my hair back triumphantly.

"Holy…" I heard Yuki say.

"That's amazing," Shigure said, much closer than he should have been. I turned around to see him standing right behind me, eye level with the hole in the shirt I was wearing. Suddenly realizing how much the huge hole exposed, I slapped Shigure, and crouched down to hide myself.

"What's going on?" Tohru squeaked form the doorway to the kitchen.

"Kyo," Yuki sighed, as if that was a good enough explanation. Tohru saw me, and rushed over. I smiled up at her.

"I'm fine. Immortal, remember? But, my shirt has been made indecent…" I looked up at Yuki. "I'm sorry. This was your shirt, after all."

Yuki smiled sweetly at me. "No problem. I'll go fetch you another." He glanced at Tohru. "Can you see if that irritating Cat and the scrounge upon womankind are alright?" Tohru nodded enthusiastically, setting about to her task immediately.

Before she reached this 'Kyo,' he climbed back up through the whole, raging with fury.

"Who the hell are you?!" He hissed in anger. "And what's your malfunction?!"

"She's the immortal messenger from the Zodiac legend," Yuki's soft voice came from the stairway. I turned back to him, and he crouched down to hand me a new shirt of his. I slipped it over the shirt I already had on, and deftly took off the ruined shirt from underneath the new one. Yuki then turned his attention back to Kyo.

"You're lucky she is immortal. Or else I would have to murder you because of her death." Yuki's voice was icy cold. It sent involuntary shivers down my spine. I could definitely grow to like this Yuki…

"Please don't fight!" Tohru squealed. Both Yuki and Kyo looked over at her, then relaxed. I blinked in surprise at her. What kind of control did this girl have over them…?

By this time, the sun was beginning to set. I knew that Hatori would become anxious if I wasn't back home soon. And Akito might choose to punish me for being late coming home. I stood, and instantly, all eyes focused on me.

"I should get home," I said quietly. I wanted to make sure that none of them could sense my fear of Akito in my voice. "Hatori will be getting worried."

Yuki looked queasy. "And Akito…What will he do…?"

I hesitated. "I don't know. He may beat me for coming home so late…I don't know."

"Then don't go home," Shigure said. "You can stay here." Almost before he had finished speaking, I was shaking my head.

"That would bring Akito's fury down on all of you. I don't want that." I barely knew these people, but I didn't want them to experience Akito's sadism in the same length I had. Shigure swiftly got to his feet.

"I'll walk you back. Akito may not be as angry if he knows you're with me."

"Let's hope…" I said, as cheerfully as possible.

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Muwhahaha...I always wanted an immortal character, so that I could be as mean to her as possible...Oh, the possibilities.


	4. Chapter 4

Apparently, Shigure cared quite a lot about his appearance when meeting with Akito, so I was stuck in his house for at least half an hour more. During that time, I mostly sat at the table with Kyo, Yuki, and Tohru, and listened to them talk. When Shigure was almost done getting ready, Yuki gestured to me to follow him. I got up to follow him, and I was pleased to note that Tohru and Kyo were too involved in their own conversation that they barely noticed us leaving. Yuki led me to what I assumed was his room. It was very messy.

"Here," he said, digging through a drawer in his dresser. "I have something I want to give you." He turned back to me, holding something in his hand. Curious, I reached out my own hand, and he dropped something light into my open palm. A silver necklace. I held it up in front of my eyes to see the charm that dangled on it.

A small, sterling silver rat dangled on the chain. Its diamond eyes shimmered in the light.

"Wow," I breathed, "it's so pretty!"

Yuki seemed pleased. "It's a good luck charm. To help you when you're at the Sohma estate."

It was the first time I had ever gotten a present from anyone, much less a boy. I was overcome.

"Thank you," I said sincerely, looking Yuki straight in the eyes. And for the first time, I saw his genuine smile. It was beautiful. I felt compelled to smile back. My smile faded when I realized I had nothing to give Yuki. Except…

"Oh!" I said, remembering. I slid my wooden bracelet off my wrist and held it out to him.

"This is for you."

Yuki held the cedar bracelet in his hands. "Are you sure…?"

"Yes," I said strongly. Yuki smiled again. With that smile, I felt like I could face anything Akito could dish out.

I turned and noticed Shigure was watching us with a smile from the doorway. I blushed a little.

"Ready to go?"

The closer we got to the Sohma estate, the more I nervously fidgeted with the rat charm on the necklace. I couldn't wait to see Yuki again, tomorrow at school.

Shigure said hello to Hatori when we finally reached the house. I snuck to my room, hoping Akito hadn't called for me. I stayed in my room for about an hour before I figured it safe to venture out.

Hatori was reading yet again. I sat on the couch next to him, fiddling with my necklace again.

"I have good news, and bad news," Hatori said, without looking up from his novel.

I sighed. I could very well predict what this bad news was going to be. "Give me the good news first."

Hatori set down his book and sat up to look me in the eyes. His black eyes were piercing. "Shigure had a talk with Akito, and she is allowing you to go live with him and the others, as long as you visit her occasionally."

I was shocked! "Really?!" I cried happily. Probably the most emotion I had ever shown in front of Hatori. He even smiled. But, there was still the bad news.

"She says you can move out tonight. But first…" Here it comes… "Akito wants to see you."

I heaved myself off the couch. "Ready the bandages."

"_How dare you even think about leaving me_?!" Even though he had said I could leave, Akito was beat me because I was. "You _live_ for me. Me, and me alone! You wretched _bitch_!"

I had never seen Akito this angry. He'd never been this violent with me.My ribs snapped when he hit me in the stomach, and I was covered in my own blood. I doubted I was even recognizable anymore. I felt like I was being burned alive. My whole body stung. I did nothing by clutch the rat charm on my necklace. It was like the raft that prevented me from drowning. Finally, Akito got bored and left.

I wanted to get up. To go to Shigure's place. To be with Yuki again. But I didn't have the strength to move. I just lay on the table, unable to do anything. It was difficult to breathe…Yuki…

The door to the room opened. I lifted my head to try and see who it was, but I couldn't. I felt myself being lifted into the air and covered with a blanket. I was being carried somewhere. But I felt safe. I allowed myself to let the creeping darkness take over me.

I woke up, warm and comfortable in a bed. I couldn't remember much about what had happened after I had passed out. I felt so weak…

"Are you awake?" It was Kyo's voice. I blinked, trying to let my eyes adjust to the soft light in the room. The redhead was sitting in a chair by the side of the bed.

I didn't answer. Kyo shrugged, and stood. "I'll admit, it's pretty impressive. No normal human could have survived what you went through."

I laughed hoarsely. "Thank goodness I'm not normal."

Kyo smiled. "I suppose. I'll go get the others. They've been worried sick."

Kyo left, and I had the chance to examine myself. I was covered in bandages. Almost a mummy. My arms, my torso, my legs…I could feel healing scratches on my face, and tender spots where bruises were. I saw a mug on the side of the bed, and gratefully drank down the water in it. By the time Shigure, Tohru, Hatori, Kyo and Yuki came into the room, I had finished the cup off. I was happy to see them all. Especially Yuki. I couldn't stop smiling, even though that simple action made my injured face ache.

"Hi," I said calmly. The next instant, Tohru broke down in joyful sobs, and everyone else grinned.

"Well, you're very difficult to kill, I'll give you that." Shigure said.

"You've got guts," Hatori smiled his rare smile.

"Welcome back," Yuki said. His smile made my heart skip a beat. I automatically reached up to touch my necklace. It wasn't there.

I began to panic, looking around for the necklace. It wasn't anywhere!

Yuki caught my frantic hands in his. When I had calmed down to look up at him, he smiled and reached his hand down his shirt. He pulled out the familiar silver rat necklace. I felt relief flow over me.

Yuki unclipped the necklace from his neck and held it around my neck. I moved my hair out of the way.

"I'm sorry." He said, while clipping it around my neck. "But we had to clean it, and I wanted to keep it safe…"

"I pressed the charm against my chest, smiling fondly. "Thank you."

When I looked up again, Yuki was staring deep into my eyes. I found myself entranced. When Yuki finally stepped back, I noticed that the room was empty except for the two of us. I felt a little self-conscious. Even worse when Yuki sat on the bed right by me.

"I'm glad you're safe from now on," he sighed sadly, "but I wish you could have been spared this…" His soft fingers gently stroked my jaw line. I closed my eyes, enjoying the feeling of his touch, which instantly seemed to banish the pain.

In my whole life, one person had never been as important to me as Yuki was now. And that made me terribly afraid that Akito would find out and hurt him.


	5. Chapter 5

I was confined to bed for several weeks, until all my injuries had healed. Even though I healed faster than normal people, it still took an extremely long time. I was allowed to take baths and all, but usually Tohru had to help me. Considering it was less embarrassing than all the time Hatori had had to help me, I didn't mind so much.

I would have been bored out of my mind if it hadn't been for Kyo, Yuki, and Tohru coming and spending time with me often. Tohru even brought over her two best friends, Saki Hanajima and Arisa Uotani, to meet me. They were odd characters, certainly. Hanajima claimed to be psychic, and could sense waves and all. I was willing to believe that, because it certainly wasn't the weirdest thing to even happen. And Uotani was an ex-gangster. I think they call them Yankees? Anyways, I enjoyed them. Along with Kyo, they were a very colorful bunch.

"Revolution!" Kyo cried during an interesting card game.

"Counter Revolution." Hanajima shot back, in her eerie calm manner. I laughed at Kyo's angry expression. Yuki leapt up and threw his hand over my mouth.

"No laughing," He commanded. "Hatori said you'll end up breaking your ribs again."

Yuki kept his hand over my mouth until he was sure I wasn't going to laugh again. "Aye aye, sir." I replied with a crooked grin.

"How exactly did you get hurt so bad?" Uotani asked suspiciously.

"I fell down some stairs," I replied calmly. Years of telling Akito that my only purpose in life was to live for her had made me a very good liar.

Uotani and Hanajima accepted that answer, although I wasn't sure if they totally believed me.

"Either way, Yuki here seems to be very intent on taking care of you." Hanajima said. Yuki and I both blushed.

"It's not like that," I protested. Yuki didn't say anything.

"Maybe we'd better leave you two alone," Uotani said, barely hiding her giggling.

Before either of us could object again, Uotani, Hanajima, Kyo and Tohru swept out of the room, leaving Yuki and I alone.

"I'm sorry about that," Yuki apologized to me. "You haven't known them very long, and yet, you're already getting teased."

I smiled. "No doubt that means it's my fault."

Yuki was flustered. "No, no, that's not what I meant at all! I-"

He broke off when I started laughing quietly at him. "I'm just kidding, you know."

Yuki stayed silent for a moment. I felt all kinds of thoughts flow through my mind. I wanted to tell Yuki…I…

"You know," I began, "all my life I never really thought that it was possible for one person to do kind things for another, without expecting anything in return. I could never figure out why Hatori let me stay with him, and why he always took care of me. Akito…" Just saying the name frightened me. "He only ever taught me pain, and suffering." I looked up at Yuki. "I am sure you've had him tell you how worthless you are at least once?"

Yuki nodded. How I wished I could free him from that pain.

"I believed him. Hatori wasn't the type to tell me who or what I really was. So I grew up thinking the world wanted me dead. I…" I held up my wrists so Yuki could see the old razor-cut scars. "I tried, I honestly tried. That's when I found out how I couldn't die. It made me feel even more worthless. Was there nothing I could do right? I even failed at suicide."

I bit my bottom lip, not daring to look Yuki in the eyes. For his part, he just sat on the bed, unmoving. I took another deep breath.

"I needed Hatori in order to survive. But it's a strange need, one based more on what essential things he could supply me with. I have never known what it meant to really _need_ someone…Not until recently." I hoped Yuki wouldn't catch on to what I meant. "But now, I want to be needed by someone, in just the same way." I closed my eyes sadly. "Or I don't know if I can ever believe that I am actually worth something."

I sighed, after finishing my short, depressing story. I laid my head back against the headboard on the bed. Yuki grabbed my wrist. I opened my eyes in shock to see Yuki bring my scarred wrist up to his lips and gently kiss the scars. My eyes widened in wonder.

"Never again," Yuki breathed, his voice tickling against the scarred skin of my wrist. "I'll never let you feel that kind of pain again. I promise."

I was speechless. No one had ever…

Acting on a whim, I twisted my hand around in his grasp, and threaded my fingers through his. He looked surprised, but still smiled that sweet smile.

"You have scars too, Yuki." I whispered, gazing at our hands as his fingers curled over mine. My words knocked the smile clean off his face. I stared into his eyes. "They may not be physical, but they're there. I want to heal you. More than I've ever wanted anything else."

I was so nervous, speaking from my heart for the first time. What if Yuki rejected me?

The next thing I knew, Yuki had taken me in his arms, holding me tightly. The familiar poof, and a rat was clinging to my shoulder. I laughed slightly, pressing a hand against Rat-Yuki's furry back. A moment later, he climbed up onto my shoulder to whisper in my ear. "

"I think…I think you're like a cherry blossom."

"Why is that?" I've never been likened to a flower before.

"Because, the cherry blossoms die in winter, when they are faced with such harsh conditions. But every spring they come back, as bright and beautiful as ever. Just like you."

Against my will, a tear dripped down my cheek.

"Oh!" I gasped in surprise. Rat-Yuki leapt down on the bed in front of me, and turned back into a human. I carefully kept my eyes concentrated on his face. Yuki reached up and brushed the tear off my cheek.

"That's strange," I said, trying to laugh, even though the tears kept falling down my cheeks. "I haven't cried in almost ten years. I didn't think I could anymore."

I closed my eyes tightly as Yuki got up and got dressed. I knew by now that I needed him, or else my whole world would fall apart. Was it possible to feel this way about someone you only met a few weeks ago?

I felt a slight pressure on my bed, and opened my eyes to see Yuki with one knee on the bed, leaning towards me.

"You need to get some more sleep," he commanded. He leaned up and kissed my forehead. "Good night."

On the way out, he shut the light off. I lay down comfortably, wondering if I could even sleep with my heart beating so fast.


	6. Chapter 6

* * *

It was another week before Hatori announced me well enough to leave the bed. I wondered if I could even remember how to walk…But, somehow, I did. Hatori had brought over all of my possessions from his house, and now I shared a room with Tohru. Apparently, I had been living in Kyo's room for the past weeks I had been injured, and I'm sure he was happy to have his room back.

"No strenuous exercise for at least three more weeks," Hatori ordered. I sighed sadly. I had really been looking forward to taking Kyo on in a few rounds.

Tohru had been bringing me all my homework, and Yuki had helped me understand anything I couldn't figure out. So I really hadn't missed anything. But I was surprised when my classmates gladly welcomed me back.

"Rara! We heard about your accident! Are you okay?" One female student asked. I didn't even remember her name.

"We always thought no one could get clumsier than Honda," A male laughed. Out of the corner of my eye, I saw Tohru blush and stutter some apology, which none of the students had heard.

"You know, the doctor said that too much excitement could send her right back to the hospital…" I recognized Yuki's voice. The students all bashfully backed off, and during their distraction, I mouthed a 'thank you' to him. He gave me his charming smile.

I was assaulted by students all day. Almost everything I heard was "Rara, Rara, you're back!" or something similar. I was growing tired of the sound of my own name. Except for only one time…

"Rara," Yuki's silky voice called me from behind. I turned, and I'm sure my smile was so happy it must have been dazzling. "Are you ready to go home?"

I nodded, and allowed Tohru and Kyo to walk past me. Yuki hung back so we could walk side by side.

On the way home, I saw someone…

I stopped, and Yuki looked back at me to see what was wrong.

"I'll just be a moment," I said softly. "You head on without me."

Tohru and Kyo continued walking, but Yuki took my hand. "Are you sure you'll be okay?" His voice was filled with concern. I gave him the sweetest smile I could.

"Don't worry, I'll be fine. I just remembered I needed to talk to someone." I pulled away from him. He backed away. I waved, watching him until he was out of sight. When he was, I ran back.

"Kureno!" I said in surprise. "What are you doing here?"

Kureno stood up from where he had been leaning against a brick gate. I had always liked him. He had been kind to me, although I usually only got to see him when Akito was beating me. Even I didn't know how he had gotten his curse broken.

Speaking of the broken curse, Kureno embraced me tightly.

"I've missed you, Rara. It's been lonely."

I gave a peal of laughter. "Lonely? How could you be lonely? You're with Akito 24/7."

Kureno sighed. "I know, but that doesn't mean it's not lonely for me."

I lowered my eyes. I could understand that.

"Anyways, Akito wants to me to check on you." Kureno continued. I froze.

"Tell him I'm miserable. That I hate it here." I said instantly.

"Why?" Kureno was curious. I think he already knew.

"If she knows how much I love it here, she will take it out on Yu-" I swallowed the rest of Yuki's name.

"So you're in love with Yuki?" Kureno said curiously. "Interesting."

"I don't know about 'in love,' but he _is_ the most important person to me. Ever."

Kureno began to slowly walk in the direction of Shigure's house. I had to walk a little faster to keep up with his long strides.

"Then it's very wise to tell her you're having a bad time here." His eyes closed, even though he was still walking. "If Akito knows who the person one of the Zodiac cares for most is, he or she will get punished. That's why…" Kureno trailed off.

I knew very well what had happened in the past. Only tales, since I had never met any other members of the Zodiac. The Ox, Hatsuharu, had fallen in love with Rin, the Horse. And when Hatsuharu had told Akito, Akito had pushed Rin out a window. As far as I knew, Rin was still in the hospital, recovering from her injuries. And when Hiro, the Ram, had told Akito that he loved Kisa, the Tiger, Kisa had been beaten by Akito. Hatori's left eye had nearly been blinded when Akito had found out about his old girlfriend, Kana. I also knew that Rin had pushed Hatsuharu away from her so he wouldn't get hurt by Akito. And Hiro had done the same to Kisa. Hatori had erased Kana's memories to protect her.

I truly hated Akito, as much as the curse allowed me. He caused all the members of the Zodiac pain in some form or another. But something about the way Kureno had spoken made me think he was afraid for someone else.

"Kureno, are _you_ in love?" I asked cautiously. Kureno's sigh of resignation told me that I was right.

"I _think_ so. I have only met her twice."

Considering all the impossible things that had become possible in the last few months, I was willing to believe he was.

"Her name is Arisa. She works at this convenience store I went to once." Kureno continued. His voice was dreamy, something that convinced me he really did love her. But…

"_Arisa_?" I gasped. "_Arisa Uotani_?!"

Kureno looked surprised. "You know her?"

"_Know_ her? Of course I know her! She goes to my school! She only sixteen! _My_ age! Oh my God, you're a pedophile!" I shrieked. Kureo clapped a hand over my mouth.

"Hush! People will hear! And no, I am not!" Kureno snapped.

"Then how else do you explain falling in love with a girl who is ten years younger than you?!" I hissed. "It's illegal!"

"At least she's not _related_ to me!" Kureno shot back.

"Low blow." But he was right. It may be a very distant relation, but I was still related to him. But then again, Hiro and Kisa were related. Rin and Hatsuharu were. And even Hatori and Kana were related. Apparently, according to the Sohmas at least, distant incest wasn't such a bad thing as the rest of the world thought.

I was sick of fighting with Kureno. If he wanted to get sent to prison, let him. "What are you going to do about Uotani?" I asked quietly. When Kureno spoke again, his voice was filled with sorrow.

"Never see her again. I told her I'd stay away from her, and her from me." He looked at me, his eyes filled with as much sadness as his voice. "To protect her from Akito."

I nodded, understanding. If Akito knew that Kureno, her favorite, had fallen in love, then Akito would most likely seek Uotani out and kill her. I completely understood Kureno's desire to protect her. If it were possible for me to die, I would lay down my life to save Yuki from Akito…

"Hey, Kureno, how did your curse get broken?"

Kureno hesitated. "I don't know. But I do know of two ways that it can be broken. The first is if the Cat falls in love with someone, and she loves him back. The second is…" Here, Kureno's voice faltered and he didn't say anymore.

"What?" I prodded. "What is the second, Kureno? Please, tell me."

Kureno sighed, and reluctantly continued. "The second is the death of God's messenger, the Immortal One. That's the only other way I know of to break the curse."

My…Death? I could break the curse? I knew very well how much Yuki and the others wanted free of the curse…My death…

* * *

Meow.


	7. Chapter 7

Kureno left after that, and I quickly hurried back to Shigure's house. Tohru had already started dinner by the time I had gotten there. I decided to keep Kureno and Uotani's meeting a secret for now. And the way to break the curse.

Yuki smiled at me as he saw me. My heart felt like it was going to break. To free him from Akito, all I had to do was take my own life…Simple, yes?

"Is something wrong?" Yuki asked as he set a cup of tea down on front of me, on the table. A second later, he sat beside me.

I smiled at him, trying my best to make it seem genuine. "No, of course not. I'm sorry to worry you."

"Well," Yuki said, thinking it over for a moment, "you know, if there is ever anything on your mind, you can always talk to me…"

I was able to smile brightly this time. "Thank you."

**************

Later, in the room I shared with Tohru, I sat on my bed in the dark. Tohru was already sleeping, and I listened to her quiet breathing, hoping it would calm me down. It didn't. I walked to my dresser, and quietly rummaged through the things Hatori had brought for me, hoping he hadn't found it. As my fingers slid across the cold, smooth metal, I sighed with relief. I pulled the razorblade out of the folds of my clothes, and retreated back to my bed. I grabbed a tissue from the nightstand beside my bed. Calmly, I set the sharp metal edge against my wrist.

As I slid it across my wrist, I watched the skin split. The cut was too sharp for the blood to well up immediately, but it began ooze the dark red liquid. The wound began to throb slightly as the blood was pumped through the ruptured veins. I never imagined I'd do this again ever since I had met Yuki. I never would have thought that this could be what freed him from his torment.

I wanted more. More pain. More blood. It was something I deserved. I licked the blood as it trailed across my wrist. Even the taste of my blood was wrong. Filthy. How could I ever be someone Yuki could be proud of to love? It could never be.

I set the blade to my other wrist, and watched this one was the blood seeped from it, as well. It still didn't feel like enough. The blood was already clotting and drying.

Determined, I pressed the blade into the gash of first wound, sawing it deeper and deeper. The pain seared like a hot knife. Blood surged over the blade, and dripped down, stained the pajamas I wore. When I was satisfied with the amount of pain and blood from the first cut, I proceeded to do the same with the second.

Blood…There was so much blood. The smell permeated the room. I licked as much as I could from my wrists, but soon it grew too much for me to handle. I wiped a bit of it up with the tissue before giving up.

I snuggled back under the covers of my bed. In my state of mind right now, I didn't care that the sheets and blankets were being irreparably stained with red.

I was feeling weak as I lost more and more blood. I allowed the weariness to steal me off into slumber.

**************

I awoke the next morning to the sounds of screaming. I jolted awake to see Tohru, screaming at me. All at once I remembered what I had done the previous night, and I saw all the blood that had soaked into the bed.

I leapt up and slapped my hand across her mouth to silence her. She looked fearfully at me. No doubt all the men in the house had heard her screams. I could now hear them running up the stairs.

I threw myself back in my bed, pulling the blankets up to cover all the blood that could be seen. I shoved my bloody hands and wrists under them as well.

"I'll talk to you in a minute! When they ask, say you had a nightmare!" I demanded of Tohru. She still looked terrified, but she nodded obediently.

Kyo and Yuki burst through the door, followed a moment later by Shigure. The two boys looked frantic. Shigure only slightly concerned.

"Tohru?! What's wrong?!" Kyo's eyes flitted about the room, looking for the thing that had been bothering Tohru. I prayed desperately that I hadn't missed covering up any of the blood.

"A - a nightmare," Tohru stammered weakly. "About zombies."

Kyo stared in wonder at her. Yuki only smiled humorously. We all knew that Tohru couldn't handle things like monsters, ghosts and zombies.

"I'll get her calmed down," I promised them. "Perhaps one of you should start breakfast?"

The three left the room. I sighed in relief. Tohru glanced over at me.

"Rara…Are you okay?" She asked in a hesitant voice. I sighed.

"For the most part." I slid my arms out from under the covers. I lifted them up to show her. "I slit my wrists last night."

Tohru gasped in shock and bent down to me in a panic. "Why?!"

"Get me some bandages, a bowl of water, and a cloth. I'll tell you everything."

**************

Tohru washed and bandaged my wrists as I talked.

"Yesterday after school, I met with someone a member of the Zodiac. One of the ones I know best. I don't think you've met him yet. He told me a way to break the curse."

Tohru perked up at this. "How?"

I didn't wish to tell her the condition involving Kyo. She was likeliest candidate to fall in love with Kyo, and be loved by him in return. If I told her, she might feel like it was her duty to fall in love with Kyo. And that wouldn't work.

"All you need to know is that it requires my death. If I die, the cursed Sohmas will all be freed. All of them." I bent down my head, not wanting to see Tohru's expression. Most likely, she'd be crying.

"It's not worth your death!" I was right, there was the sound of tears in her voice.

"You don't know that." I said harshly. "Maybe it's like that to you. But, to the Zodiac members who don't even know of me, they would all be overjoyed to hear that the ending of a meaningless person like me could save them. They would probably come after me themselves. Even to those I have met…Shigure, Hatori, Kyo…Yuki…To them, my death will be a small price to pay for their freedom." I forced myself to believe that Yuki would feel the same as the others if they ever found out this certain method to break the curse.

Tohru was silenced by my words, but her tears ran down her cheeks. I felt sorry for making her sad, but that was just how it was. Hesitantly, I reached out to her and hugged her. Tohru was too good of a person to suffer through the pain she had in life. She didn't need more. And I wanted to be the last person to force more suffering on her. But…What will be, will be.

I patted Tohru's leg, before getting up and sliding on a sweater to cover up the bandages. I would throw away the bloody sheets, cloth, and clothes after school. I was grateful that our navy blue uniforms had long sleeves. Tohru, with a sudden surge of inspiration, trotted to the closet and got a sweater for herself. I gave her a quizzical look.

"So that the others won't ask why you're wearing a sweater!" She exclaimed proudly. I smiled at her thoughtfulness.

I was really going to miss her. I prayed to the gods that if Tohru and Kyo ever got together, Akito would never find out. Tohru didn't deserve any more pain.


	8. Chapter 8

"Why are you wearing sweaters?" Kyo asked as he ate his breakfast. I sighed sadly. Tohru's brilliant plan had failed miserably.

"Because it's cold," I shot back, as rudely as I could. Hopefully he would leave the subject alone. To insure this, I muttered _just_ loudly enough for him to hear, "Lousy cat."

"_What_ did you say?!" Kyo seethed. I smiled. Even considering his temper problems, he was a really good person. I knew he would take care of Tohru.

Look at me, already talking like my suicide was something set in stone. I glanced quickly at Yuki, but immediately turned my gaze elsewhere when I noticed his eyes were on me. I turned away, before I could meet his gaze. I didn't think my heart could handle it…

"You seem so full of _life_ today!" Tohru said enthusiastically. I glared at her. No doubt she was trying to talk me out of suicide.

"You mean she's not normally crude like that?" Kyo retorted. "Punk." I decided to show her what exactly I meant.

"How important would you guys say your freedom from the curse is?" I asked nonchalantly, sipping from a cup in front of me.

The three guys looked at me. Before replying all at once.

"More important than anything." Kyo whispered.

"Almost as important as _my_ life." Shigure said, with his usual narcissistic laugh.

Yuki was the last to reply. I waited with bated breath to hear his answer. His was the most important. His would decide my fate.

"_Almost_ the most important thing to me. Almost."

I closed my eyes. That was it. I was going to die for him.

**************

All through the school day, I planned different ways of suicide. But I didn't know if any would work. It didn't make sense that there was nothing that could kill me. If I was completely immortal, then breaking the curse with my death wouldn't even be an option, would it?

Yuki walked with me to all of my classes, as we had every class together. I was lost in my thoughts, and he seemed to understand that I didn't really want to be bothered. I didn't even want to think about our next class, physical education, even if I was quite athletic.

"Watch out!" Yuki cried. He grabbed my elbow and pulled me out of the way, as a student tripped. The stack of books the student had been carrying flew directly where I had been standing a moment before. I blinked, looking up at Yuki.

"Th-thank you," I stammered.

Yuki smiled, and slid his hand down my arm. When the pressure of his fingers slid across my cut, I involuntarily gasped in pain.

Yuki gave me a strange look. Before I could stop him, he yanked back the sleeve of my uniform to reveal the cloth bandages.

When his eyes met mine again, they were full of accusation, hurt, and disappointment. My heart began to ache.

"What is this?" Yuki hissed. I dropped my eyes.

"Please, Yuki, don't…" I pleaded quietly. I should have known that the headstrong Yuki wouldn't obey.

Yuki, carefully taking my hand, pulling me into an empty classroom. The bell signaling class to begin rang, but both of us ignored it.

"Did you…Hurt yourself?" Yuki whispered fiercely. His grey eyes were penetrating into mine.

I ripped my hand from his grip. "Yes, I did, okay? Besides, what difference does it make to you? What do you care?"

Ignoring my wishes, Yuki once again clasped both of my hands in his. Still holding my hands, he sank to his knees.

"It makes _all_ the difference. I promised…No, I _swore_ that I would take care of you. That I would protect you from pain like this."

I felt tears spring up in my eyes. It seemed he was the only one who could ever make me cry.

"You can't save me," I breathed, knowing that my words might hurt him. "No one can save me."

Yuki's hands dropped to his lap, and I swept out of the room, leaving him behind.

**************

I skipped physical education. I didn't want anyone seeing my red eyes and my tear-streaked face. No doubt the girls would question why I, the 'punk,' was crying. Instead, I sat on top of the school roof, watching the clouds. Yuki's oath to protect me still hadn't changed my mind about my death. I would save him from his suffering. In time, he would forget me, especially if he had his new freedom to cheer him up.

And I could escape Akito, as well.

Even though I hadn't seen her for months, her presence still haunted me. I still felt drawn to the Sohma estate, where she was. Maybe it was time I stopped resisting the call to return to her…

Now with a purpose, I stood straight up, and leapt off the top of the building.

As I thought, it didn't kill me. People around me started to scream as the blood splattered. They began to scream even louder when I stood up, and began running in the direction of the Sohma estate.

When I arrived at the gates to the Sohma estate, I hesitated. If I walked in those gates, there was no going back, at least not until Akito had had his way with me. Who knows how much would be left of me after that…

"Why are you covered in blood?" Said a quiet voice behind me. I jumped, as it happened to be the most terrifying sound in the world. I turned to face Akito.

"I tried to kill myself." I responded coolly. "And I obviously failed."

"Too bad." Akito replied. She took my hand. "Bad servants need to be punished."

I suppressed a whimper of fear.

**************

I lost track of the days that I had been subject to Akito's torture. I don't think even Hatori knew I was here. Kureno did. But he wasn't going to go about and tell anyone who would save me. He was too loyal to Akito for that.

"Are you feeling sorry now?" Akito asked one evening, while fiddling with a butcher knife.

I spat blood from my mouth. "Never," I hissed. Akito's eyes narrowed in fury. Gripping the knife tightly in one hand, she slammed it straight into my abdomen.

I couldn't hold back a shriek of pain as Akito ripped the knife out. I panted desperately, praying for my end to come. I was almost sobbing when it didn't. Akito bent her face close to mine.

"I will stop torturing if you swear yourself to me forever. I'll even let you go back to Shigure's house, and see your friends. You _beloved_ Yuki…"

I froze when she said those words. I didn't even dare to breathe. So, Akito knew. Akito knew I loved Yuki. I _had_ to protect him.

"You're wrong about him," I hissed. "He has become an annoyance to me, at best. He follows me around all the time, and it drives me crazy." I was lying through my teeth now. I would do anything to stop Akito from taking her wrath out on Yuki. "_He's_ the one in love with _me_, not the other way around." How I wished the first part of that last sentence was true. But no…It could never be.

"Is that so?" Akito smiled wickedly. "Then you'll have to be the one punished. I can't allow Yuki to have someone more important than me."

I gritted my teeth in preparation for this promised punishment. This was how it should be, I reminded myself. I was keeping Yuki safe. And the instant I died, he would be forever free. But it seemed Akito couldn't do it.


	9. Chapter 9

Then came the day that Akito unlocked the door and left it wide open for me. With his simple command of "Leave," I scrambled up as fast as I could, and bolted from the room.

I ran until I could no longer breathe. I didn't recognize where I was. Some abandoned part of town, I was sure. I bent over, gasping and clutching at a painful stitch in my side. I collapsed.

**************

I could hear sirens. Dimly. It didn't feel like I was on the hard ground I had fainted on anymore. It was softer. I could hear people breathing around me, conversing softly…Some sort of plastic tubes had been shoved up my nostrils, forcing me to breathe clean oxygen. I opened my eyes.

I was in some very small place, that had a window on the wall facing me. It was made of metal, and there were benches and all kinds of beeping machines. A man in a blue uniform was anxiously peering into my face.

"Can you hear me?" He asked slowly and clearly. "Can you understand what I'm saying?"

I nodded. "Yes," I replied quietly.

"Do you remember your name?" He said.

"Rara Sohma." I said instantly. He obviously thought I was more injured than I actually felt.

He muttered some unintelligible words to someone behind me.

"Rara, it's nice to meet you. I'm Taro. How old are you?"

Taro kept me talking for a while. Then he, together with his companion, rolled the bed out of the small room. It was a vehicle, I realized. A large white vehicle. They rolled me into a building, where I sat in a room. Doctors and nurses bustled around me. I had never been in a hospital before, but I knew a little bit about them thanks to Hatori. I was scared. What if they found out about my immortality?

One nurse took my arm and pushed a needle into my vein. I felt something flowing into me, and I got dizzy. The world began to disappear as the anesthesia did its work.

**************

I woke, feeling groggy and numb. The beeping of a machine counted off my heartbeats. Some device that was wrapped around my upper arm squeezed tightly every once in a while. And there was the familiar feeling of being wrapped up completely in bandages. I was going to live. Tuh-riffic.

There was still a needle sticking out of a vein in my arm. Little white things were stuck all over my torso, and the wires flowing from them were connected to machines. The room was too bright, and the smell was awful. Like death, sickness, and chemicals. I wanted out.

I knew a nurse or doctor would come in to check on me soon. I had to escape before they could. I knew I was fast enough to outrun anyone who pursued me.

I ripped the needle out of my arm, and yanked the blood pressure device off. The machines begin to beep loudly and continuously as they noted the sudden change. I pulled the white sticky things off of my body, and leapt to my feet. I began to run.

Of course anyone who saw me sounded an alarm. Hospital security guards chased after me, but I was too fast. I found a pair of doors leading to the outside. I leapt through the glass, shattering it. I landed on my feet and continued to run, taking wild twists and turns wherever I could. I finally lost my pursuers.

I had really gotten lost this time. I found myself on a cliff, overlooking a river. The cliff was so high…The water glimmered in the sun, and its beauty made me smile. I watched the water flow down the river. I sighed, feeling myself return to peace.

"Rara?"

I turned to see Yuki staring at me in disbelief. I almost thought I was hallucinating. His beautiful grey eyes widened in recognition.

"Rara! It _is_ you!" Yuki ran to me, and threaded his fingers on both hands through of mine. He kissed the backs of my hands, laughing gratefully, before finally settling his forehead against mine and closing his eyes.

"I thought you were dead! I was so scared." Yuki whispered, his warm breath against my nose.

Yuki…? Scared for me? But why?

"I went back to Akito." I found myself confessing to Yuki everything. "He tortured me because I wouldn't promise to be his slave for the rest of my life. When he let me go, I was taken to a hospital, but I escaped and ran here…You're here…You're here, Yuki…" I found myself so overcome with relief that my knees gave out. I fell to the ground, and pulled Yuki with me. Neither of us made any effort to get back up. This time, I pressed my forehead against his.

"I…I found a way to break the curse," I whispered. Yuki drew back from me. I missed his warmth instantly.

"How?" Yuki's voice was quiet, like he thought the hope of freedom would vanish if he spoke any louder.

I stood and backed away from Yuki, towards the direction of the cliff and the fast river far below. His expression told me he didn't understand.

"It's simple. All it requires…Is my death."

Yuki shot to his feet, and took a step closer to me. I stepped back, towards the edge of the cliff. Yuki froze instantly.

"Rara, I don't understand. You can't be serious. That _can't_ be possible!" Yuki's voice was quiet and calming, like a police officer trying to talk down a jumper. His eyes grew desperate as he reached out a hand to me. "Please, don't…Don't even think about it! It's not fair. I _need_ you!"

All my life I had wanted to hear someone say those words to me. Although suicide was a terrible sin, maybe Yuki's words could redeem me enough to get me to heaven someday. I smiled at him and shook my head.

"It's too late. This is the only way I can free you from this curse. From Akito. From me." I yanked the silver rat necklace off my neck, breaking the chain. I set it down by my feet.

"I love you, Yuki Sohma. I'm so sorry." With that, I spread my arms and fell backwards, falling fast to the roaring water.


	10. Chapter 10

I slammed against the water, with enough force to reopen most of my wounds. I sank quickly, not even trying to fight against the currents. Water filled my mouth and my lungs screamed in protest. I closed my eyes, waiting to drown.

Someone seized me around the waist. I felt myself being pulled up to the surface, and the crisp air felt like a slap in the face. The water was blinding my eyes. Yuki finally reached a depth that he could stand at, and carried me to the shore. He set me down gently, before collapsing and coughing. There was still too much water in my lungs and I was too weak. I couldn't hope to breathe. I simply lay there, waiting for the lack of oxygen to take my consciousness away.

"Don't you dare give up on me now, Rara!" Yuki gasped. He pinched my nose closed, and them pressed his mouth against mine, giving me as much of his vital air as he could. His hands pushed forcefully against my chest. He repeated the process several times until I gave in to the irresistible urge to cough. I rolled to my side, spitting up the water and gasping for air. Yuki rubbed my back until I was breathing normally.

"Feel better?" He asked, smiling at me. I noticed that his arm was covered in a vivid bruise from hitting the water. His hands were scratched and his pants had been shredded. And still he smiled as if this was the happiest day of his life.

"I swore to protect you, Yuki…" I whispered, my voice breaking. "And you've been hurt, because of me…"

I couldn't bear to look at him. I didn't want him to see how dirty my soul was. I was crying now, my shoulder shaking with the force of the emotions I was feeling. I loved him…I loved him so much…

Yuki's hand reached up and brushed away the tears on my cheek. I opened my eyes in surprise, the tears stopping almost instantly. Yuki brought his hands to my cheeks, and leaned over and kissed me tenderly.

"You don't seem to understand." Yuki breathed once he pulled away. He was still so close to me that our breath mingled together. "I need to be with you. Together forever. Or else I know I'll die. When I said my freedom was almost the most important thing to me, I meant _you_ were the first. I am willing to deal with any pain Akito or this curse can dish out, just as long as you are by my side. Please, Rara, let me love you."

Suddenly I felt lightheaded. The area around us began to spin. For the first time in my life I felt redeemed, free from Akito. Forgetting momentarily about the curse, I threw myself onto Yuki, clinging desperately to him. It took a minute before I realized that I was still hugging a human, instead of a rat.

I drew back from Yuki in shock. He looked as surprised as I.

"You're…Not changing," I said, doing an excellent job of stating the obvious.

"I'm not," Yuki said, looking down at himself. He looked up at me joyously. He grabbed me, pulling me back into a tight embrace.

"The curse is broken, Rara! We're free!"

I held him, laughing happily. His joy seemed to be contagious.

"Please, Yuki, stay with me forever." I breathed into his ear. He chuckled slightly, one of his arms wrapped around my waist, the other pressed against the back of my head.

"Always, Rara. Always."

* * *

Ah, so this is the last chapter before the epilogue...I think this story might have been too short for my liking, so I'm working on another.

Anyways, thank you all so much for your support! It was so wonderful!

Lark


	11. Chapter 11

**Epilogue**

I closed the photo album when we reached the last page. My granddaughter, Yoshiko, had nearly fallen asleep during the course of the story I told. I suppose that was what happened when a grandchild asked how her grandparents had met and fallen in love. It's just a shame that our grandchildren didn't find the story as thrilling as Yuki and I did.

As if on cue, Yuki walked into the room. Just the sight of him made me smile. I was thankful that he hadn't lost his charmingly good looks even in old age. And, according to him, neither had I.

Yuki approached us and took Yoshiko off my lap. Yoshiko woke up immediately, and laughed as Yuki tossed her playfully up in the air. He always insisted that she wasn't getting too old for these games when I protested. As long as he still had the strength, I suppose I didn't mind.

"Kyo and Tohru's granddaughter will be here soon, Yoshi," Yuki told the giggling girl, "You'd better get some toys set out for you two to play with!" Yoshiko nodded and obediently ran off.

Yuki smiled, and wrapped his arm around my waist, entwining our fingers together with his other hand. I used my free hand to play with the old rat charm that hung on a chain around my neck.

"She's getting more charming everyday," I told him, "Just like you."

Yuki considered that for a moment. "Perhaps. But, she's got your beauty."

"_And_ my stubbornness," I reminded him. He laughed.

"That too."

I rested my head against him. "When we were young, I never would have thought life could be this happy for anyone, least of all me."

"That just shows that it's not good to jump to conclusions."

"It's a little too late to start lecturing me now, Yuki Sohma!" I scolded. He turned so that he was in front of me. He kissed my forehead softly, before kissing my wrists, like he had so many years ago. Only, the scars had long since faded.

"Alright, I'll save any more of my lectures for tomorrow, then. And the tomorrow after that, andthe one after that…"

* * *

*sniff* That was actually a pretty short story. Oops. I didn't want to make it that short. But I had nothing else to write.

Anyways, I hope you enjoyed it. Thank you so much for your support!!

Lark


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